Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The 4:20 Hemp Shop sits on Avenida 18 de Julio, one of the most important streets in the southernmost Latin American capital of Montevideo, Uruguay. Like General José Artigas, who led the fight for Uruguayan independence from the Spanish, English and Portuguese, and whose mausoleum sits at the end of 18 de Julio, the 4:20 Hemp Shop is a pioneering entity. Positioned in the only country in the world to fully legalize cannabis, one might picture head shops on every corner, instead the 4:20 Shop is an island unto itself. Started over a year ago when ever present stigma around the cannabis industry was even stronger, the 4:20 Shop has been joined by other paraphernalia purveyors but none as bold in the city center.
Inside the store you will find the typical marijuana accessories, t-shirts, pipes, and rolling papers along with how-to guides for the home grower and even soil and organic fertilizer. What you won't find is any marijuana. Though legalized by former President, José 'Pepe' Mujica, and his leftist Frente Amplio governing party, you still can't legally purchase marijuana in Uruguay.
Store owner, Lucas Lopez Lopes staffs the counter and disappoints inquisitive tourists saying that no marijuana is sold in the shop. He also explains that even if he could sell marijuana, Uruguayan law doesn't permit sale to non-residents. With his two brothers and father, the ownership group started the venture given job struggles, mounting bills, along with a strong belief that legalization is the right thing for the country. "The recent law doesn't legalize as much as regulate the industry. It has never been much of a problem to smoke but an issue of where to acquire. The new law is about cultivation, buying and clubs. Now it is a bit more relaxed." Allowing a customer to take a sniff of his 'Rude Waapa' strain of cannabis, Lucas makes it clear that smoking indoors is prohibited, while his friend, Federico Lezama uses his 'vape' pen nearby, something that is allowed inside.
Lopez Lopes laments the fact that a grey market will be created even after government produced and controlled product is sold through pharmacies. "People who want to buy cannabis who don't want to appear on the government's mandated register will recruit people on the street to buy for them." Still, he is excited about the future, "This is a good thing. That people can grow their own, dedicate themselves to cultivation."
Unlike Colorado that legalized marijuana by statewide vote in November 2012, and left the implementation decision to cities starting in January 2014, the country of Uruguay has navigated a much different course. The entire country of Uruguay legalized cannabis following the leadership of Mujica and by a vote of the national congress in 2013. A Uruguayan national database was created to register and track home growers, medical patients, and grow clubs.
The last part of Mujica's country-wide implementation plan, the selling and buying of marijuana, has been put on hold by new Frente Amplio President, Tabaré Vázquez. Since taking office on the first day of March 2015, Vásquez has been much more critical and cautious about legalization. Though widely announced to commence sale of cannabis through pharmacies in August 2016, long-awaited implementation has yet to happen. Not only have sales been delayed, no pharmacies contacted in the capital had any communication with the government regarding a timeline or a plan for implementation. The national government has selected two companies to grow marijuana for sale to the Uruguayan public, Symbiosis and International Cannabis Corporation. They are contracted to produce 2,000 kilos or about 4,400 pounds of cannabis to be sold through pharmacies. With the plan for sale in wait, the cannabis has been warehoused.
Workers in the Trouville Pharmacy in the Punta Carretas neighborhood of Montevideo are just fine with the stalled sales plan. Counter representatives field numerous requests for buying cannabis, from tourists staying at the Hotel Dazzler across the street. It seems the news of country-wide legalization has made a global impact and the scheduled sale of government grown and controlled marijuana, sold through pharmacies has been heard.
Trouville Pharmacy attendant, Erly Patroni doesn't want any part of the industry to be introduced in pharmacies. As part of the medical community, she has misgivings about selling any drug without a prescription. "If you bring me a doctor's prescription, then I will sell you the drug prescribed. Without a prescription, I don't want to sell it." She concedes that full legalization is an appropriate move to counter narco-traffic but has misgivings about the effect on the streets of Montevideo. "For me, the law is fiction. I don't believe this will be good for business." A majority of Uruguayans agree with Patroni's stance against legalization. A June 2014, Latin American Public Opinion Project poll reported that 60 percent of the country's residents were against the law and a July report from the same year by pollster, Cifra, found 64 percent opposed.
Though they have taken different paths to legalization and regulation, Uruguay and Colorado are global leaders in cannabis policy. Lopez Lopes' message to those that are monitoring Uruguay because of their cannabis policy, "We are an open country; culturally and socially we are more cosmopolitan. Because of the new law, people will be left in peace."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Different Paths To Marijuana Legalization
Author: James Mejia
Contact: 303-936-8556
Photo Credit: AP
Website: La Voz Bilingue
Inside the store you will find the typical marijuana accessories, t-shirts, pipes, and rolling papers along with how-to guides for the home grower and even soil and organic fertilizer. What you won't find is any marijuana. Though legalized by former President, José 'Pepe' Mujica, and his leftist Frente Amplio governing party, you still can't legally purchase marijuana in Uruguay.
Store owner, Lucas Lopez Lopes staffs the counter and disappoints inquisitive tourists saying that no marijuana is sold in the shop. He also explains that even if he could sell marijuana, Uruguayan law doesn't permit sale to non-residents. With his two brothers and father, the ownership group started the venture given job struggles, mounting bills, along with a strong belief that legalization is the right thing for the country. "The recent law doesn't legalize as much as regulate the industry. It has never been much of a problem to smoke but an issue of where to acquire. The new law is about cultivation, buying and clubs. Now it is a bit more relaxed." Allowing a customer to take a sniff of his 'Rude Waapa' strain of cannabis, Lucas makes it clear that smoking indoors is prohibited, while his friend, Federico Lezama uses his 'vape' pen nearby, something that is allowed inside.
Lopez Lopes laments the fact that a grey market will be created even after government produced and controlled product is sold through pharmacies. "People who want to buy cannabis who don't want to appear on the government's mandated register will recruit people on the street to buy for them." Still, he is excited about the future, "This is a good thing. That people can grow their own, dedicate themselves to cultivation."
Unlike Colorado that legalized marijuana by statewide vote in November 2012, and left the implementation decision to cities starting in January 2014, the country of Uruguay has navigated a much different course. The entire country of Uruguay legalized cannabis following the leadership of Mujica and by a vote of the national congress in 2013. A Uruguayan national database was created to register and track home growers, medical patients, and grow clubs.
The last part of Mujica's country-wide implementation plan, the selling and buying of marijuana, has been put on hold by new Frente Amplio President, Tabaré Vázquez. Since taking office on the first day of March 2015, Vásquez has been much more critical and cautious about legalization. Though widely announced to commence sale of cannabis through pharmacies in August 2016, long-awaited implementation has yet to happen. Not only have sales been delayed, no pharmacies contacted in the capital had any communication with the government regarding a timeline or a plan for implementation. The national government has selected two companies to grow marijuana for sale to the Uruguayan public, Symbiosis and International Cannabis Corporation. They are contracted to produce 2,000 kilos or about 4,400 pounds of cannabis to be sold through pharmacies. With the plan for sale in wait, the cannabis has been warehoused.
Workers in the Trouville Pharmacy in the Punta Carretas neighborhood of Montevideo are just fine with the stalled sales plan. Counter representatives field numerous requests for buying cannabis, from tourists staying at the Hotel Dazzler across the street. It seems the news of country-wide legalization has made a global impact and the scheduled sale of government grown and controlled marijuana, sold through pharmacies has been heard.
Trouville Pharmacy attendant, Erly Patroni doesn't want any part of the industry to be introduced in pharmacies. As part of the medical community, she has misgivings about selling any drug without a prescription. "If you bring me a doctor's prescription, then I will sell you the drug prescribed. Without a prescription, I don't want to sell it." She concedes that full legalization is an appropriate move to counter narco-traffic but has misgivings about the effect on the streets of Montevideo. "For me, the law is fiction. I don't believe this will be good for business." A majority of Uruguayans agree with Patroni's stance against legalization. A June 2014, Latin American Public Opinion Project poll reported that 60 percent of the country's residents were against the law and a July report from the same year by pollster, Cifra, found 64 percent opposed.
Though they have taken different paths to legalization and regulation, Uruguay and Colorado are global leaders in cannabis policy. Lopez Lopes' message to those that are monitoring Uruguay because of their cannabis policy, "We are an open country; culturally and socially we are more cosmopolitan. Because of the new law, people will be left in peace."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Different Paths To Marijuana Legalization
Author: James Mejia
Contact: 303-936-8556
Photo Credit: AP
Website: La Voz Bilingue
